Airbender: The Last Avatar
by Emperor Vladislav
Summary: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. For thousands of years, the world existed in harmonious perpetuity. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked the global market with its superior economy. Only the Avatar could master all Four Elements. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years later...


Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

My grandmother tells me of a time when the Four Elemental Nations lived in perpetual harmony. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation flooded the global markets with cheap goods, owing to the industrial revolution which took their volcanic archipelago by storm. The economies of the world crumbled before their might. Only the Avatar mastered all four Elements. He maintained balance between the world's powers, but when the world needed him most, He vanished without a trace. A century has passed and the Fire Nation and its capitalists are an economic might nearly insurmountable.

Two years ago, my father, along with all the men in our tribe left the South, looking for work. The Fire fishing ships had made it impossible for us to catch enough food to sustain ourselves, so they hoped to find job in a Fire factory. My brother and I were left behind to take care of the women, children and the elderly, awaiting remittance. So far, we've had no news of them.

After the death of Avatar Roku, the Avatar should have been reborn among the Air Nomads. However, not two decades later, revolutions swept across the Air lands, the Valleyfolk rebelling against the Airbender monastic caste. It is said that all Airbenders were killed. Meaning the next Avatar should have reincarnated in one of the Water Tribes. There are rumors that the Avatar Cycle has failed and that Roku was the last. But I haven't lost hope. I believe that one day, the Avatar will return to save the world.

* * *

"... that's nineteen hundred bǎn. In accordance with Fire Nation Royal Holdings policy, this entitles us to a 30% ownership over the canning plant and a 35% share of the profits for the first ten years of its operation, and the obvious 30% after that. But we've gone over this before, haven't we? If you would kindly sign here, we can seal the deal."

"Sure, prince Lu Ten. Can I borrow your pen?"

Prince Zuko observed as the Southron local tribal chieftain - named Matokot, if Zuko remembered correctly - and Lu Ten. His cousin had skillfully presented the deal to the hairy Waterman who, despite wearing furs no other in his village possesed, looked nothing like a leader to the younger prince. Something more akin to a shift overseer in a refinery, with his rugged look, callused hands and wild hair... not to mention the smell of fish oil that permeated the chieftain's igloo.

Zuko's cousin handed the Waterman his pen, a friendly smile on the older royal's fair face as he stroked his sideburns. The 28-year-old had easily convinced the chief of Kiibuyat, with his well-known charisma, warm personality and, especially, by breaking the ice at the beginning of the negotiations with his offer of tea, a move the older prince had picked up from his father, the legendary prince Iroh.

"There you go, prince Lu Ten. We'll get on with the works as soon as possible," the chieftain said as he handed the prince his copy of the contract.

"Thank you very much," Lu Ten said, bowing respectfully. "A pleasure doing business with you."

"And with you, your highness. Thanks again for the tea." He looked at the sixteen-year-old Zuko, who had barely spoken throughout the whole exchange. "And thank you as well, young prince Zuko."

Zuko, while he could understand the Southron language, was still a little green when it came to formulating sentences. Still, he politely answered: "Welcome you are, Matokot-chief. Thank you for this deal."

They bowed again in farewell and the two princes left. Outside the chief's snow hut, they noticed that the tribesmen had gathered around, awaiting the outcome. They gave them a nod, telling them that the deal came through, and there was a collective cheer. The locals were happy that they could stay here, in their homeland, rather than leave like the tribe across the bay did. with that, the princes made their way to the village harbor, where their ship awaited.

»Another successful deal, eh Zuko!« Lu Ten spoke in Firespeak.

»Yes, cousin,« the younger prince answered.

»Well, we should set the course for the Southern Air Islands now. Resuply. Send a missive back home. Oh, and our allowance should be due soon, we should visit the Royal Bank of the Fire Nation there too.«

»Mhm,« Zuko hummed, touching the burn scar that covered most of the left side of his face, his half-blinded left eye darkening.

»What is it? You've gone gloomy all of a sudden.«

»It's nothing,« the teenage prince said, turning away.

»It's not nothing. You had that look in your eye. The same one you had when we visited the Western Air Temple.«

They walked silently for a while, before Zuko spoke again: »It's been two years and we've still found no clues as to the Avatar's fate.«

»Oh, that.« The older cousin scratched his right sideburn. »We'll find something sooner or later. Perhaps He or She is hiding in the Northern Water Tribe. Who knows?«

»You know I can't return home until I find Them. Not after...«

»It won't bring her back, Zuko. Besides, even grandfather Azulon failed. And you know how long he's been on the throne.«

Zuko went silent. Yes, the old Fire Lord, despite being over a hundred years old, was probably the most virile man in the world. A wise ruloer and an even wiser patriarch, he had kept the family together for almost eighty years. And yet, even throughout his long reign, he had failed to locate the Avatar. His older cousin might be right. But this didn't mean the young prince didn't feel obligated to go through with searching for the Avatar. Not after what his spiritual followers did.

The two made it to their ship, a mid-sized steamboat designed for the icy Antarctic Sea. While it was primarily a trading vessel, cannons lined its deck, as was the policy - these seas were teeming with raiders. The crew, which consisted of the sailors and the armed escort of the two royals, welcomed them aboard. Lu Ten ordered the ship's captain, the middle-aged former naval lieutenant Jee, to set the course for Taktser, the capital city of one of the four sovereign countries of the Southern Air Islands, Sum Pa.

»Right away, your highness. Start the engine! We're sailing out, men!«

Soon after, smoke began to rise from the ship's twin funnels. The helmsman blew the steamboat's steam horn, announcing their departure. The tribesmen of Kiibuyat gathered at the docks, seeing them off. The children waved excitedly, but some adults seemed less approving of their departing guests. Zuko found that strange. After all, they were completely in favour of them when the outcome of the negotiations were announced.

»I wonder where Druk and Futsang might be...« Lu Ten muttered. »Well, probably lurking around somewhere.

»Come on, Zuko,« he called his younger cousin. »Let's have dinner. I think the cook is making his roast duck today.«

The youth looked into the sky. The Sun was still high, and wouldn't set for hours yet. But that's the Antarctic summer for you.

* * *

Past the ice floes and icebergs, on the other side of the gulf, two Water Tribesmen were out in the water on their canoe. A boy of fifteen, maybe sixteen, with a mohawk tied into a small pony tail at the back of his head, and a girl of thirteen or fourteen, with braided hair. Both had the same dark hair, the same tone to their typical polar tanned skin and the same twinkle in their blue eyes, so even a stranger could clearly tell they were siblings.

The brother held a fishing spear in hand, standing up in the boat as he scanned the water for prey. So far, he had ben unsuccessful in catching anything. The sister, meanwhile, eyed the water itself, totally engrossed by it. A faint feeling of movement is what she could feel beneath her - the sea currents; after all, she was a Waterbender.

"Alright, fishy, come to uncle Sokka," the boy murmured. "I'll make sure to introduce you to my friend, Pointy the Spear."

His sister, meanwhile, started making hand motions at the water, trying to bend it to her will. She caused a few ripples at first, getting the feel of it. Then she tried lifting a small bubble of water, before releasing it with a splash. She noticed a fish swimming in her direction. Concentrating, she tried making a bigger bubble. She succeeded, lifting the fish with it, letting it float in front of her.

"Hey, Sokka, I caught one!" she called to her brother, smiling in satisfaction.

"Not now, Katara, I've almost got one," he waved her off. "Oh, and it's a big one too. Come here, you..."

Katara turned back to her ball of water, just in time to see the fish jump out of it and back into the sea. It wasn't just going to wait to be put in a barrel and then dried, salted, fried or whatever they were going to do to it, it had a life to live damn it!

"Oh... It got away..." she complained, releasing the ball of water back into the sea. Then, she noticed tree new fish approaching. "Oh, but they won't!"

Once again, she went through the arm movements, flowing like the water, trying to form her biggest bubble of water yet. Slowly, she started lifting the three fish with the water, getting them up into the air slightly, then towards the boat. But then, there was an ever so slight rocking as her brother raised the spear, preparing to throw it. She lost her concentration, her steady flow disturbed. The bubble splashed down, some of it in the canoe, but moste of it back into the sea. The fish swiftly swam away in fright.

"Ah, yellow snow!" Sokka swore. "You scared it off!" he bemoaned. He added when he noticed his pants: "And you got me all wet!"

"Sorry," his sister said, though there was a slight smile on her face. "I guess I bit off more than I could chew."

"No, I think I'm the one who bit of more than I could chew," he argued back. "You said you were gonna help me catch the food for the village. Instead, you're playing with your bloody water magic!"

"It's not magic, it's Bending," she corrected, getting irritated. "You know, the ability to Bend one of the Four Elements to your will? Has been around since forever?"

"You can call it alchemy for all I care. What I do care about is whenever you start playing with it, I end up wet or worse! And there's not much worse than getting wet in the Antarctic!"

"Well, I'm sorry that there are no Bending masters in the whole of the Antarctic who would be ready to teach me how to use my ability, because, believe me, I'd gladly learn from them." She was getting realy riled up now.

"So you learn without them. You know what dad told me when hea caught me practicing with my club alone?"

"Don't you bring our dad into this!" she said, getting up to face him.

"He told me that practicing alone only solidifies your mistakes. So maybe, you should cut back on all your bendy water thingy and actually help me fish like you said you would!"

"Oh you..." she started but stopped, noticing something was awry. "Are we moving?"

They were. While they were having their spat, the water currents had picked up as several icebergs encroached upon them. "Sharkwhale's spear," the boy swore. "Row for your life, Katara!"

Their argument forgotten, the two siblings grabbed their paddles and rowed, Katara spotting in the front, Sokka steering in the back.

"Right!" Katara shouted, and Sokka paddled on the left.

"Left!"

"Left!"

"Right!"

They made it past several smaller chunks of ice, but they were rapidly heading towards a larger one.

"Left!" Katara shouted again. But they didn't change dirrection. "Go left Sokka!" It was too late. Their boat was crushed and the two teens found themselves in the freezing-cold water.

The currents calmed down. They swam for the closest ice floe - staying in the water for too long would be a death sentence. Sokka pudhed his sister onto the chunk of ice first, before climbing on himself. They dried their clothes as much as they could, then put them back on.

The Sun was setting.

"You okay?" Sokka asked after a while.

"Yeah..." Katara anwered. "Why didn't you go left?"

"Would if I could. The current was too strong. And where was your bendy thingy then, huh?"

"We still doing this? And I thought you said I shouldn't 'solidify my mistakes'?"

"Yeah, but since when do you listen to me?" He sighed. "I knew bringing you along was a bad idea."

"Alright. What do you mean by that?" his sister got up.

"You know exactly what I mean!" said he, his face right in front of hers. He, as much as she, was frustrated beyond measure. "I shouldn't have brought a girl on a hunt!"

"A 'girl'? What does my gender have to do with anything?" There were slight ripples on the water.

"I'm not talking about your gender*****. You were playing with the water, instead of fishing. Like a little kid."

"A little kid!? That's rich coming from you! I cook for us! I wash our clothes! I stich, I repair our huts! What do you do except goof around?!" Waves formed on the water, and cracking could be heard coming from the ice.

"Goof around!? Excuse my Firespeak, but who busts his balls catching the food our village eats?! Or trains the boys?! Or fixes the wall?! Oh, that's right, me! So don't you say I goof around! I'm trying to keep our tribe alive!"

"And I don't?!" She was really angry now. So much so that she had subconsciously stirred up the water and ice with her Bending, dangerously so. "Ever since all the men left, you've been acting like a self rightous, immature, nut-brained, sexist-..."

The ice shook and Sokka could think of only one thing. "Get down!" he shouted, pushing his sister on the ground, placing himself over her protectively as the slipery ground they stood on shook.

An iceberg rose from underneath the water, raising waves that shook them further, before settling right next to their floe. The two youngsters looked up to see. It was no ordinary iceberg. Something was wrong. It had a bluish white glow to it, seemingly coming from inside. As the Sun had set, and it wouldn't be rising for another hour or two, it was the only light source. At its centre, a silhuette was situated. A silhuette of a human.

"Is that a person?" Katara asked. Before Sokka could say anything, she disentangled herself from her brother, got up and jumped to the neighbouring iceberg. Sokka quickly followed her, his spear at the ready and his club close at hand, hanging from his belt.

"A glowing dude frozen in ice," he commented. "Yeah, this looks legit. Come on, Katara, let's not get too close."

But his sister was too captivated by the, now obviously male, figure. A boy, looking twelve, maybe thirteen, glowing, trapped in ice. "Give me your club," she said.

"What?" her brother asked.

"Give me your club. I'm breaking him free."

"Oh, penguin's balls you are. We don't know anything about him. Best case, he's been trapped long enough that there are no lights in there left, except the literal one. Or, he's some ancient evil sealed by our ancestors. Either way, I don't trust this thing."

"Just give me the club. I got a good feeling about this."

"A 'good feeling'?"

"My woman's intuition."

"Well, my 'male's logic' is telling me this is a bad idea that might set us up on a jurney around the world seeking bendy masters to deal with watever is sealed in there."

"Sokka, shut up and give me your club."

He sighed. "Fine. But you have to feed it if its hungry." He took out the blunt weapon, crafted from an ursine femur with a blue-coloured metal sphere fixed to its business. "Alright, Whacky. You're up."

Katara took the club and struck the ice. Then again. And again. And again. Slowly, a crack forms in the ice. Another strike, and it quickly spreads all the way to the glowing boy. The air inside is released with a tremendous force, pushing the girl back, her brother having to catch her. The light shot up in a beam into the sky, lighting up the sky.

* * *

Not too far from the two Water Tribesmen, a Fire Nation ship carrying two princes was sailing north. Inside his minimalistically decorated cabin, Lu Ten slept soundly, his snores putting even the biggest lumber mill to shame. The contant rumbling of the ship's engine a lullaby to him.

Then, with a screech, his door was opened and Zuko rushed in. »Wake up, cousin, wake up!«

Lu Ten stirred with a groan. »What time is it?«

»Midnight, I think. Come on, you should see this!«

The older prince got up, rubbing his eyes. »Zuko, I need my sleep to keep looking this good, you know.« He sighed, rising to his feet. »This had better be good.«

Lu Ten followed Zuko through the metal corridors. The crew seemed to mostly be up as well. Whatever the boy wanted to show him had them up and about as well. The two ascended the stairs to the bridge. Captain Jee and the helmsman, Zhou, stood motionless, staring out off the ship's port bow. They didn't even notice them come in.

Lu Ten looked in the direction they were looking and realised why. A beam of bluish white light rose to the sky in the distance, lighting up the night sky. It truly wasn't something one saw every day. It was no wonder the crew were so captivated. The prince noticed them down on the deck, staring as well. And then, it went dark again, as suddenly as it had appeared.

»Do you know what this means, cousin?« Zuko asked.

»That... That I won't be getting my beauty sleep?«

»It means the Avatar has returned.«

Lu Ten looked at his cousin, who had a look of total conviction on his face. »Oh really? And how did you come to that conclusion?«

»The beam,« Zuko explained. »The historical records mention it many times.«

»Al right,« Lu Ten said, strokung his sideburns. »Or, it could be a natural phenomenon.«

Zuko looked at him. »A natural phenomenon? Like what, Aurora Australis?«

»Maybe? You know how the magnetosphere is down here.«

»That is no natural phenomenon, I'm sure of it. We should at least check it out«

Lu Ten regarded his cousin. He truly believed that at the beam's source, the Avatar awaited. The being the Fire Nation had been looking for for a hundred years. The being Zuko had been looking for for the last two years. And, after so long with not even a lead, they happened to see a beam of light sailing the Antarctic. Lu Ten didn't believe in destiny, or in luck, but this?

»Jee,« the older prince adressed the captain. »Set the course for that beam's source,« he ordered.

»Yes, your highness. You heard the prince, Zhou.«

* * *

When Katara and Sokka stopped shielding their eyes, most of the iceberg was gon and all that remained was the boy, standing atop a hill of ice. He wore orange and yellow robes, the colour scheme of the Air Islanders, and had strange blue arrow tattoos, running down his arms, legs and up his shaved - that's right, shaved – head.

"Well, that was great," Sokka deadpanned. "Still think this was a good idea?" he asked his sister, pointing his spear at the boy.

Sokka expected the boy to be hostile. Instead, he was half-counscious, collapsing forward. Katara managed to catch him in her arms. He was light and skinny, shorter than the girl. He looked so weak. How long had he been in the ice.

Katara's brother poked the boy with the blunt end of the spear. "Is he dead?"

"Sokka!" she scolded. "Stop that!"

The boy groaned and the two siblings went silent, looking at him. He cracked his eyes open slightly. ``Greetings,`` he said, but the two Southrons didn't understand him. ``I have an inquiry for the two of you.``

"Huh?" Katara said. "What-..."

Before she could say that she didn't understand him, the boy's grey eyes lit up, opening completely. ``Would you like to go penguin sledding with me, m'lady?`` With that, he jumped out of her arms and Sokka pointed his spear at him again.

"Katara, get away from him!" the older sibling urged. "I don't know who you are, but I have a spear and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Sokka!"

``Yes, that much is evident,`` the boy of the iceberg said. ``But I am rather fond of living, thus I would like to ask you to stop pointing that spear of yours at me, would you kindly?``

"What are you babbling about?!" the older boy asked. "I didn't get any of that!"

``Huh? Oh, right, you wouldn't understand Airman.`` He cleared his throat, before speaking again "I apologise for my blunder. What I said was that I would prefer it if you did not point that spear of yours at me." He then turned to the girl. "Back to that question of mine. Would you like to go penguin sledding with me?"

"Uh... Sure?"

"Katara, wait! We don't know anything about him. He talks like gran-gran, he was trapped in ice for who know how long, we don't even know his name!"

"My name is Aang. What about yours?" the strange boy asked.

"I'm Katara. This goof is my brother Sokka," the younger sibling answered.

"Katara! Are you even listening to me?!"

"A pleasure to meake your acquaintance,"

There was a loud rumbling, coming from behind the hill of ice. ``Appa!`` Anng exclaimed. He jumped over the hill, despite it being three times his height, astonishing the two Southrons. Katara quickly followed him, Sokka tailing behind. And there, on the other side of the ice, the strangest animal they'd ever seen awaited.

As large as a hut, six-legged with a thick coat of white fur with the arrow pattern similar to the one on Aang on its head and legs. They had never seen it before, but the siblings recognised it as the most common livestock - the flying buffalo.

``Appa! You live!`` the boy cheered, hugging himself against the beast's forehead. ``Uh... What I mean is...`` he stammered, dropping down to the ground. ``Of course you live. Just as I had told you you would. There never really was a doubt we would survive that storm.``

"Wow!" Katara exclaimed. "Is that a flying bison? I've never seen one before."

"That, it is, m'lady," the Airman proudly replied, petting the six-legged bovine. "Appa is my best friend and mount."

"A mount?" Sokka asked. He noticed the large saddle, big enough to hold a group of people, attached to its back. "I didn't know they were still used as beasts of burden. Huh. How does it fly?"

"Flying bison are nature's Airbenders, my fellow," was the boy's answer. "They... ah... ahh... ahhh... TCHOO!" he sneezed, launching himself in the air. Very high in the air. He gracefully landed on the ground, rubbing his nose. "Ah... I apologise for that."

"Did you just... sneeze yourself, like... five metres into the air?!" Sokka asked in astonishment.

"Huh? It felt like aproximately sixteen feet. What's a metre?" the boy questioned back.

"What's a foot?" Sokka asked.

"It's the anatomical structure found at the end of your leg, but that's not important right now," the Airman answered, before turning to Katara again. "Would you care for a ride on Appa?"

"Uh, no thanks, dad taught us not to take rides from strangers," Sokka answered. "Come on, Katara, let's go home." He turned around to leave, only to stop in his tracks. "Except we can't go home, because we're stranded," he realised. "Damn it!"

Aang laughed. "I renew my offer of a ride."

* * *

Zuko stood at the ship's bow, staring off into the distance. It had been hours since the flash of light and they were now somewhere in the middle of the gulf. His thoughts still dwelt on the Avatar. After two years of travelling with his cousin, his goal was finally at hand. Finally, the enemy of the Fire Nation, his enemy, would be captured.

»Zuko? You're still standing there?«

Zuko turned to see Lu Ten approaching his hands behind his back. »So... How do you intend to find the Avatar?«

Zuko continued to stare off the ship's bow. »There's a village in the area. You remember it? We sold them salt? They weren't exactly welcoming, but they traded with us. We should ask them.«

Lu Ten nodded. »Good thinking.« He waved for Zuko to approach. »Come. Let us spar, cousin.«

* * *

***Funny bit of trivia: the word girl originally referred to a 'juvenile person of either sex'. Thus, saying that someone, say, 'fights like a girl' is more a reference to their age/experience, rather than the type of naughty bits they have between their legs.**


End file.
